Creating a Game


Once you're ready to create your own game, just follow these steps and you'll be well on your way.

Creating the Game

  1. At the Main Menu (assuming you already have an account to play by), look at the area under the RPoL Banner where you'll see a set of die icons and some links.  Click on the link for "Start your own game".

    You are now at the "Game Creator" menu.  It tells you how many games you are authorized to run, and how many you own.  Your limit is based on your length of time as a member of RPoL and your behavior on the site.  New users start with five allowed games.  From here, you'll need to select a Game Name, a GM Alias, and your game's Genres.

  2. Now you need to fill in essential information about your game.

    • Game Name: Select a name which describes your game and try to use a unique and interesting name.  It's important not to use formatting code, non-alphanumeric characters, or profanity in your game name.

      You are limited to a Game Name of sixty characters or less.  To make it easy for players to identify the game system you intend to use, we suggest you use one of the System Abbreviation acronyms in your game name to allow players to easily tell what rules system you'll be using.

    • GM Alias: This will be the name you, the GM, will go by in the game.  Some people like a simple, spiffy "GM", while others want something more elaborate.  A GM name is limited to thirty characters.

    • Genre:  Would your game be better off in a fantasy setting?  Is it a horror game?  Is it comical?  By properly categorizing your game, players interested in that sort of game can can more easily find it.

    • The bio1 and bio2 slots are optional, and are for filling in any extraneous information you feel might aid the players.  Perhaps an E-mail address or the like.  Or, leave it blank.  Both of these slots are limited to 30 characters apiece.

    • Choose a genre (or three): Games can be classified by up to three genre descriptions using the checkboxes, and should have at leats one assigned.  These help prospective players who are searching for games find the sort they want.

    • Name your Game System.  After typing the first three letters of a game system, the list will attempt to help you by making suggestions (but if it doesn't, click the "full list" link and choose one from there to copy and paste.  Game systems also help players who are searching for games to find the ones they want.


  3. Click on Create Game.


Once your game has been created, you'll be redirected to it in short order.

Setting up Basic Game Information

Once you're in the game, you'll see a link near the top called, "GM Menu".  Click that.

If you ever decide that you want to change the Game Name or Classification, this is done here, using the "Edit Game Details" link.  For now, though, we'll focus on fleshing out your game.

  1. You cannot advertise for new players until a Game Introduction has been created so, first, set up your Game Introduction.  Click on the link for "Edit the game introduction", and start typing!

    The game introduction is what a player is going to look at first in many cases.  They want to see if the game will be interesting to them.  Put an introductory preface here of what the game is going to be about and introduce the reader to your game's story.  You'll want to gain their interest by making it exciting or intriguing to read.

    Follow up with a reiteration of what game system you intend on using, and be sure to tell potential players what sort of character concepts you are looking for, or what limitations there are on character creation (levels, money, magic items if applicable).

    You can edit the text in this section using RPoL's approved formatting, such as colors, boldface, italics, and so on.  When done, click the button for "Update Game Introduction".

  2. If you have a map ready to use for your game, return to the "GM Menu" and click on the link for "Update the Game Map".  This can be used to upload a game map to RPOL of 100 kilobytes or less in size.  Use .gif, .jpg, or .png for map file images.

  3. If you have already set up a website dedicated to your game, then specify the game website link using the link for it in the GM Menu.  This selection is for linking your game with a website dedicated to the game.  This is a great way to add to and enhance your game and show off your html prowess.  Additionally, many players are attracted to games with fancy websites.  To show the extra effort as a DM to fancy up a web site for a game tells the players just how enthused you are about it.

  4. From the GM Menu, you can also use "Edit the external file links" to add URLs to your game to help the players find the references they need.

  5. Create your first thread.  You must create at least one thread in the game before you can start advertising for players.  Ideal contents for this thread include character creation information, a character sheet template, and notes on any house rules for your game.

  6. Now, under "Edit game details", set your "Requesting New Players" flag to "On" and click "Update Game".  This tells potential players that you're actively seeking new players for your game.  If you want to toggle it off or on, this is the place to do it.


You are ready to start adding messages now.

Setting up Public Messages
From your Game Menu, you'll see that you have no public messages yet.  Not a problem.  We'll add one!

  1. At the top-right corner, you'll find a link for "Post a new Topic".  Click on it.

  2. Select the name you wish to post under.  You really should only have one to select from if you've followed the walk-through.  If you only have one, it's selected for you.  If you have two or more player names, you'll have to select one to post with.  If you want to, you can post with some other name by typing it in the slot labelled Other Name:.

  3. Type a Subject for your message.  This will appear as the title of the thread.  If you want to change the subject later, you can merely edit the Subject  of the first post in the thread and it will change the title displayed.  It's usually good to give threads a subject that says what they're about.

  4. Enter your post.  Perhaps make it a "Welcome to the Game" note, or maybe it's the set up for the adventure.  Whatever you want to do with this message is great.  You can use text formatting again in this section, such as colors, bold, strikeout, italics, and underline.

  5. Click the "Preview/delay Post" button -- this will show you how your post looks before  submitting it.  It's a good habit if you're using a lot of formatting to make sure you didn't miss any tags or got all the colors and highlighting right.  If you're happy with it, click the "Re-edit Message" button.  We're not quite done with it yet!

  6. Select the message's group from the drop-down list beneath the posting area.  Groups 0 through U are for game play.  Group 0 is default, and typically open for everyone.  Group Z is special and shouldn't be used for regular game play (as only those in Group Z can see it, and only GMs can reply to it).  See the help for notes on Group Z.  Messages in the Public group can be seen by everyone, but only the GM can post to it.  Leave your first message in group 0.  You can change it later by editing the first post in the thread if you decide you want it as a different group.

  7. Select the Notice check box if you want this thread to remain on the top of the list at all times.  Otherwise, just leave it unchecked.

  8. Now, click the "Post Message" button, and it will be posted into your Public Messages section.


Advertising Your Game

Now you're ready to advertise.  Remember how we typed up the Game Introduction?  Let's take another look at it!  Click on "Game Info" from your Game Menu and you'll see it again.
  1. Click on the link beneath your Game Introduction for "Edit the game introduction".

  2. Select the whole passage with your mouse (or click inside the box and use control+a to select all), then either right-click and select copy, or use control+c to copy your introduction.

  3. Click on the link for "Main Menu".

  4. From the Main Menu, click on the forum called "Wanted - Players" (under the RPoL Forums category).

  5. Click on the link for "Post a new topic" (in the upper right-corner area).

  6. In the Subject area, type your game name or a phrase that will attract the type of player you want to read your ad.

  7. If you have more than one game advertising for players, use the Game Name drop-down list to select the game for which you wish to advertise.  (You will not get a choice of games unless you have more than one choice available.)  Also note that you will not be able to create an ad for a game which already has an ad running in the forum.

  8. Click in the Message box and hit control+v, or right-click in the message box and select paste to paste your Game Introduction into the box.

  9. Read over your ad again, and put in any extra information you think players might need to know, such as how often you'd like players to be able to post in the game.

  10. Click the "Post Message" button.

There you have it.  Your first game is set up and you're ready to accept new players!  Good luck!

Last updated: 05:51, Thu 12 Jan 2023.
Direct link: http://www.rpol.net/help/?t=faqs&page=createagame